A Redwater, Texas, man who poured rubbing alcohol on his dog and set it on fire to stop it from fighting another dog was sentenced to a year behind bars Monday in Bowie County.
James Lynn Taylor, 27, pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty at a hearing before 202nd District Judge John Tidwell. Tidwell sentenced Taylor to 365 days in jail.
Taylor first came to the attention of Bowie County Sheriff’s Office deputies responding to a shoplifting call in September at Spring Market in Redwater. It was reported that two men had stolen some alcoholic beverages from the store.
What began as a misdemeanor shoplifting case ended with Taylor’s arrest for felony animal cruelty.
Taylor and a second suspect identified in court records as Taylor’s younger adult brother were given misdemeanor citations for theft under $100 in connection with bottles of Cayman Jack alcoholic drinks stolen from the Spring Market in Redwater on Sept. 16, 2021.
As deputies were questioning Taylor and his brother about the missing drinks, staff at Redwater City Hall called and advised police that the drinks had been stashed near the wheel of a police car. Two cold Cayman Jack drinks were found near the tire of a police unit.
While Taylor was being detained by deputies for the theft, a female pitbull walked up which Taylor advised was his.
The dog had obvious injuries to its side and belly, according to a probable cause document. Taylor claimed he had poured rubbing alcohol on or around his dog and lit it on fire to get the dog to stop fighting with another dog two days before. Taylor had not sought veterinary treatment for the wounded dog.
